Lesson number one: Never grab a girl's backside when you're on stage being honored. In public.

Apparently Slovakian cyclist Peter Sagan missed the memo. The 23-year-old smart ass was captured goosing one of two attractive podium girls as she congratulated the Tour of Flanders winner, Fabian Cancellara. Sagan placed second in the Belgium bike race. Sore loser much?

Even more pathetic, a tweet from the event's official Twitter account seemed to find the fifth-grade gesture amusing, blasting "Naughty Sagan," with the now notorious butt pinch picture attached, to its followers.

The Twitterverse exploded with equally loud comments for and against Sagan, ranging from "the feminist brigade needs to get a sense of humor. He didn't kill anyone" and "the podium girls are there to be objectified" to the simply stated, "what an idiot." Even writer Michael Hutchinson tweeted how surprised he was that 50 percent of the tweets he received in response to his own Sagan-shaming on Twitter have been pro-Sagan.

The cyclist eventually came out with a weak apology, announcing it wasn't his intention to disrespect women and that he was just making a joke.

Critics are saying the race should do away with the podium girls altogether to level the playing field between the sexes in cycling. But just because a pretty girl is on stage in a short dress doesn't mean it's an invitation to fondle her booty.